My StarSpangled Man
by TwitchGlitch
Summary: He needs help moving on in the world and on this fourth of July, she's here to help him, just as she's done in the past. Steve Rodgers x OC - One Shot probably Just a little something I came up with while watching the fireworks on this Fourth of July.


Captain America leaned over a railing looking out upon the river. It was hot, a searing 102 degrees with a 45% humidity level. Across the river an orchestra was playing a multitude of songs, anything from the current music of Katy Perry and Tobey Keith to the "Grand Old Flag" among others. He sighed as the fireworks began and felt as the percussion of the blast against his body. It took a moment to register the hand on his shoulder and he turned to the small girl standing behind him.

"Captain," she said, "Are you enjoying today?"

"Not as much as I used to," he commented, "everything is so different." He looked out across the river once again and the music drifted over to them.

"Steve," she said softly as she leaned on the railing next to him, "times have changed and even our own independence day is so overly commercialized. Children know that the fireworks and the celebration are for something but this country as a whole has forgotten its pride. Tomorrow is one day people vaguely remember the reason we are who we are, but thanks to you, people are slowly remembering their national pride everyday."

"I'm just another commercialized product," he commented, "just like all this insanity. People don't care anymore."

"A lot of people do care. The unrest in the country is proof, no one knows what to do anymore and the people at the top of the food-chain are accusing one another, no one taking credit. That's where you come in," she said smiling to him, "you're the hero that everyone wants, the hero that everyone needs. You are our symbol of unity; our Star-spangled man."

"I'm nothing special," he said looking into the murky water.

"Listen, tomorrow is the Fourth, come with me to watch the fireworks tomorrow," she said her left hand resting on his upper left arm. He looked to her again, the small brunette standing before him with a soft smile on her face and her green eyes looking to him hopefully and excited.

"Okay," he said with a sigh, "I'll go with you."

"Good, now let's go inside and watch _"Yankee Doodle Dandy"_, alright?"

"That movie is still around?" he asked a grin appearing on his face.

"Of course! It's a classic, and I'm glad to see I've caught your attention with the mention of a movie," she said with a laugh.

"I remember when that movie came out. Bucky and I saw it at the theater, one of his double dates with a girl who was clearly not interested in me," Steve said looking down at the brunette. She was listening to him with a smile on her face and he wrapped his arm around her.

"Careful Captain," she said mockingly, "someone might see us." Immediately Steve removed his arm and walked by her side, looking straight forward. She giggled next to him and he felt his arm move. Her arm slinked up his, wrapping herself against him with a smile on her face.

"I won't let you go because of a mask," she said, "I'll never run from you." Steve smiled as she held onto him.

"Yeah, I know," he said, "thanks." She smiled and said nothing, but in return kissed his arm softly.

"Are you ready, Steve?" she called into his apartment opening the front door and closing it behind her.

"In here," he called from his bedroom and she walked in. She leaned against the door frame and whistled at his shirtless form.

"Looking good, Captain," she commented and he turned to face her with a grin on his face, "especially for a guy who's almost ninety years old."

"You had to play that card, huh," he asked putting his shirt on and walking over to her.

"Just reminding you so you don't get too cocky," she said a grin on her face as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What a considerate girlfriend," he jabbed playfully and kissed her forehead.

"You know I do my best," she said and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. They stared at one another for a moment before she spoke again, "Are you almost ready?"

"Well I was getting ready and then a beautiful brunette entered my house and began distracting me," he said brushing hair from her eyes.

"And then I showed up, right?" she said playfully, "I always knew there was someone else." He chuckled and nodded.

"Sorry, couldn't bear to tell you," he commented and dipped down to kiss her lips. She was surprised, so used to his affectionate kisses, but never a kiss on the lips. She kissed him back, but pulled away patting his chest.

"Keep it up and we'll be late," she said with a smile and exited his room.

Steve steeped out of his room, ready to leave, but paused as he looked over her sitting on his couch and looking through one of his albums. He knew the exact album; it was one that S.H.I.E.L.D. put together for him when he was brought back; it was of his SSR unit. She was looking at the page that held a picture of him holding onto a locket with the picture another brunette inside, amongst several of he and his team fighting against HYDRA.

"She was pretty," she said tapping the photograph.

"You two would have gotten along," he said sitting next to her.

"Probably not," she responded.

"What do you mean?"

"We would have fought over you," she commented smiling to him.

"Knowing the two of you, that's probably true," he said leaning back.

"Is this Bucky?" she asked looking at another photo. He looked at it and smiled.

"Sure is," he said, "he would have loved to meet you. Probably would have asked you on a double date or something." She laughed and closed the album up setting it back on his coffee table. She stood up and held her hand out to him; he took it and stood with her.

"Time to go," she said and he nodded.

They found a section of grass near the river and within earshot of the music, they were early but it gave them time to watch others frantically find the perfect spot to sit. Steve watched her as she smiled at all the people and couldn't help the smile that crossed his features. She was beautiful and he was almost ashamed that the first reason he even talked to her was because she looked like Peggy. Almost. If it hadn't been for that reason alone, he would have never met her and he would probably be living like he was; moping around his apartment and spending time at the gym. Truth was, if it hadn't been for her, he would have never moved forward.

"Did I ever tell you why my name is Sam?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't recall," he said, sure she hadn't.

"Before I was born my name was going to be Ava Marie. I was due at the end of July, but my mother had problems with the pregnancy. My mother was sent into immediate surgery on the Fourth of July and things looked grim for me. The doctors claimed that even at birth, I was still and uncrying, until the fireworks began going off. My mother and father decided that I was their Fourth of July miracle and so they named me after our grand old Uncle Sam and so I got the name Samantha. Not much of a story the way I tell it, but my father always had a way of making it the most epic Fourth of July story," she said looking over at the barge.

"So today's your birthday?" he asked pretending he didn't actually know.

"Yep," she said and leaved over to the cooler they brought, she pulled a soda out of the cooler and leaned back. She rested her head against his chest, waiting for the fireworks to begin. It was a moment before she remembered the conversation from the night before.

"You told me yesterday you don't think you're anyone special, but look around. Look at all the people wearing Captain America t-shirts and accessories. You are a symbol to our nation, to our children. You are the hope that people have and you show people how to be brave even in the most distressed of situations," she said remaining against him.

Steve looked around and noticed all the kids in their t-shirts and how even a few of them were actually wearing a Captain America uniforms. He was about to comment when the first firework rocketed into the sky. During the fireworks he pulled her into his lap and rested his head on top of hers, but it was just before the finale when he moved his head so his mouth was at her ear.

"I already talked to your parents," he said just loud enough for her to hear, "and I asked him if this was a good idea. He chuckled when I told him I planned to do it today and told me it was the most fitting day." Sam looked to him confused and nervous, but remained silent as Steve continued.

"I know I'm far from perfect and at times I forget who I am or what I'm doing here, but in the past year you've been there for me more times than I can count. You helped me accept that I was stuck in this world, which is so foreign from the one I grew up in. If you're willing to take the risk of being with, as Thor called us, a Defender of Earth, I want you to marry me," he said finally, pulling a ring from his pocket and holding it up to her. Sam stared at it for a moment and heard the people in the immediate area all tuning into him proposing. She looked to his face and smiled.

"I told you, I'll never run from you," she said, holding out her left hand, "I'll never let you go, just because of a mask." He smiled and put the ring on her finger kissing her as he did so. They turned and watched the finale hand-in-hand, both smiling.

"Happy Fourth," she whispered facing him as the finale ended.

"Happy birthday," he responded, kissing her forehead.

"Best birthday ever," she said smiling and hugging him.

"Oh I'm sure there were better ones," he said with a smirk and she laughed with a happy tear in her eye.

"Well there was this one Fourth of July a few summers ago," she said making up a story as she went. They laughed together, holding hands and barely noticing as the people around them left, some of them even wishing them luck in their lives.

It was by far the best Fourth of July they ever had.


End file.
